External carriage adapter for aircraft parachute flare

ABSTRACT

The combination with a flare release mechanism of a clip to hold the disconnect coupling so that the movement of the lanyard by the wind pressure or retention of the lanyard by tape wrappings will not result in an accidental initiation of the flare or that the retention of the lanyard will not result in a dud, and yet release the disconnect coupling upon release of the flare casing and the tightening of the lanyard.

[Inited States Patent [1 1 [111 3,760,682 Dexter Sept. 25, 11973 EXTERNAL CARRIAGE ADAPTER FOR 3,366,008 l/l968 Grandy 89/'l.5 D

AIRCRAFT PARACHUTE FLARE 3,476,012 11/1969 Jackson 89/l.5 D

[76] Inventor: John B. Dexter, California, Md.

[22] Filed: Feb. 18, 1969 [21] Appl. No.: 800,209

[52] US. Cl. 89/1.5 D, 102/70 R [51] int. Cl 364d l/04 [58] Field of Search 89/l.5, 1.5 D; 102/70 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,224,334 12/1965 Curtis et a1. 102/2 3,326,083 6/1967 Johnson 89/l.5 D

Primary Examiner-Samuel W. Engle Att0rneyEdgar J. Brower, Arthur L. Branning and T. 0. Watson, Jr.

[57] ABSTRACT The combination with a flare release mechanism of a clip to hold the disconnect coupling so that the movement of the lanyard by the wind pressure or retention of the lanyard by tape wrappings will not result in an accidental initiation of the flare or that the retention of the lanyard will not result in a dud, and yet release the disconnect coupling upon release of the flare casing and the tightening of the lanyard.

5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures MENYEU $925575 FIG 2 FIG. 3

JOHN B. DEXTER BY M INVENTOR ATTORNEY EXTERNAL CARRIAGE ADAPTER FOR AIRCRAFT PARACHUTE FLARE STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST The invention defined herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a means for preventing the accidental actuation of an airplane-carried flare, or the failure of actuation when it is desired to actuate the flare, when such failure is due to the retention of the lanyard which is generally taped to the flare casing, and more particularly to a clip which is attached to the flare housing or casing and serves to retain the lanyard against accidental actuation and yet release the lanyard upon release of the flare.

2. Description of the Prior Art It has been the custom to secure flare casings to the bomb rack of an airplane and attach a lanyard to the arming mechanism of the flare at one end and attach the lanyard to some part of the plane at the other end. When the flare is released, the flare inside of the casing drops away from the plane until the end of the lanyard length is reached. The lanyard thereupon arms the flare, and breaks away from the flare through the medium of a lanyard disconnect coupling which is carried within the length of the lanyard. Often the length of lanyard, which must be of a length to allow the falling flare casing to attain sufficient velocity to break the lanyard connection at the time of the arming operation, is whipped about by the wind pressure caused by the speed of the plane so that the lanyard actuates the arming mechanism and the flare in initiated while on the bomb rack. This is highly undesirable. To avoid this, it

was the practice to tape the lanyard to the flare casing with a special tape. This practice also had it imperfections. Often the lanyard would refuse to tear through the tape windings and the flare casing would dangle as a dud, not being armed by the pull of the lanyard. Also the tape would not stick to the casing except under certain conditions of temperature and moisture which presented an installation problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides means for attaching a lanyard to a flare casing in such a manner that it cannot be actuated through the wind pressure and yet upon release of the flare casing the lanyard will arm the flare and break away without fail. A resilient mounting for securely holding the lanyard disconnect coupling against any possibility of release through wind pressure and yet permitting release upon the release of the flare casing.

An object of the present invention is to insure arming of the flare upon release of flare casing from the plane, while preventing the premature actuation of the flare while attached to the plane.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the end of the flare casing showing the lanyard coupling mounted in the resilient support which in turn is carried by the casing;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the resilient mounting and its supporting band;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the structure of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 shows the flare casing mounted on the bomb rack and illustrates the position of the resilient mounting with relation to the bomb rack, preventing the release of the lanyard coupling.

Referring to the drawings in which like parts are designated by like numbers throughout the several views, a flare casing 11 adapted to be supported by braces 12 ofa bomb rack 13 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. The bomb rack 13 is carried directly below the fuselage of a plane and exposed to the wind stream of the plane. This air pressure at speeds up to 600 miles per hour causes the lanyard to exert enough pull to set off the flare while it is still on the rack.

A lanyard 14 which is attached to the plane at one end and at the other end to the arming mechanism of the flare is severed a short distance from the arming mechanism end and connected to one end of a lanyard disconnect coupling 15. The long end of the lanyard connected to the plane is connected to the other end of the lanyard disconnect coupling 15.

Secured to the casing 11 and adjacent one end is a band 16. This band 16 carries a lateral cross member 17 which is riveted to the band at 18 and formed with upturned ends 19. The cross member carries at its mid point a resilient clip 21 adapted to receive the lanyard coupling 15. The band is secured to the casing by bolts so that it may be positioned at almost any point along the length of the casing 11, but is positioned so that when the casing is in position on the bomb rack, the coupling 15 will lie directly under one of the braces 12 which prevents the coupling from leaving the spring clip until after the casing has been discharged from its position under the bomb rack. The upturned ends 19 of the cross member serve as shields to prevent the wind pressure from forcing the coupling from the clip.

When the flare is released the flare casing drops from its position under the bomb rack, the lanyard tightening to pull the coupling from the resilient member and to immediately arm the flare. The lanyard breaks away from the flare casing after arming the flare and the subsequent explosion of the flare releases it from the casing and ignites the candle.

With the securing of the lanyard by attaching the lanyard coupling to a spring clip formed with upturned ends to provide wind breakers, and by mounting this clip so that the coupling may not be sprung upwards from the clip while the casing is still attached to the bomb rack, two problems are solved. There is no more premature ignition of the flare while still on the bomb rack nor are there times when the lanyard, which is now taped to the casing to prevent the premature ignition, remains still attached by the tape not tearing and the flare is never ignited and remains still attached to the plane until it is released.

Obviously manymodifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings.

I claim:

1. In combination with a flare, adapted to be carried on an airplane bomb rack, and a lanyard assembly, the later having an arming lanyard with first and second said disconnect coupling is being held by said first means.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the first means comprises a clip having curved opposing memsections and a disconnect coupling joining two ends of 5 hem 3. The combination of claim 1 further including means for maintaining said band in any desired position along the longitudinal axis of said flare casing.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said maintaining means comprises:

a first member extending from said band;

a second member extending from said band; and

means for fastening said first and second members together.

5. The combination of claim 3 wherein said first means comprises a clip having curved opposing sides. 

1. In combination with a flare, adapted to be carried on an airplane bomb rack, and a lanyard assembly, the later having an arming lanyard with first and second sections and a disconnect coupling joining two ends of said sections, the other ends being connected respectively to the arming mechanism of said flare and to an airplane, an improved lanyard retaining member which comprises: a band encircling said flare casing; first means mounted on said band and extending away from said flare casing for resiliently holding said lanyard disconnect coupling such that wind and other extraneous forcEs acting on the lanyard will not arm the flare assembly; and second means mounted on said band and extending away from said flare casing for shielding said lanyard disconnect coupling from wind pressure when said disconnect coupling is being held by said first means.
 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the first means comprises a clip having curved opposing members.
 3. The combination of claim 1 further including means for maintaining said band in any desired position along the longitudinal axis of said flare casing.
 4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said maintaining means comprises: a first member extending from said band; a second member extending from said band; and means for fastening said first and second members together.
 5. The combination of claim 3 wherein said first means comprises a clip having curved opposing sides. 